Heika: A superstar in Sweden, Stars' Crisopher Nilstorp came to Dallas for new challenge

3/12

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Jan 26, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars rookie goalie Cristopher Nilstorp (41) warms up before making his first start at home in the game between the Stars and the St. Louis Blues at the American Airlines Center.

McKINNEY — When Cristopher Nilstorp was approached
last summer by the Stars to bring his game to North America from Sweden, he
decided all he really wanted was a chance.

One of the top goalies in the Swedish Elite League for the previous two
seasons, he figured a new challenge might be just what he needed. So he signed a
two-way contract with Dallas, started his season with the AHL Texas Stars and
now sits on the cusp of getting one of those golden opportunities.

“It was time for a change,” he said.

And that change might come Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. Nilstorp
(6-3, 191) just turned 29, and he has excelled at the highest level of hockey in
Sweden, but he’d still like to prove he can do it at the highest level in the
world. With two starts, no wins and one groin pull to his credit in the NHL,
Nilstorp is itching to take on the giants once again.

“He’s been good this year,” said goaltending coach Mike Valley. “And now it’s
time to show he can be a consistent guy at this level.”

Valley recruited Nilstorp with the carrot of opportunity. Both knew that
Richard Bachman had earned a one-way contract in the NHL, but that didn’t mean a
little competition wouldn’t be good for the organization. So Nilstorp was given a
two-way deal with AHL pay coming at a rate of $100,000 per season and NHL pay
coming at a rate of $1 million per season. There was certainly motivation to
succeed.

However, Nilstorp’s goal has to do with so much more than money. He had
battled with the best in Sweden and helped his team Farjestad to the Elite
League championship two seasons ago. In his two most recent playoffs, he has
posted GAA’s of 1.80 and 1.60, as well as save percentages of .944 and .938.
Fact is, his numbers were right up there with Viktor Fasth’s, the Anaheim goalie
who has taken the league by storm this season.

So why couldn’t the same thing happen to Nilstorp?

He showed signs in his first game that he can bring top level play. He
stopped 31 shots and lost a 1-0 game to the Minnesota Wild. His second outing
was a bit tougher, allowing four goals on 29 shots in a 4-3 loss to the St.
Louis Blues. He suffered a groin injury in that game, and he had to go back to
the AHL to get healthy.

But now that Kari Lehtonen has suffered a groin injury and Bachman has
struggled in recent games, there’s a very good chance Nilstorp gets the start
against the Canucks.

“He’s a big goalie, he’s calm in the net, and you like those attributes in a
guy,” said Glen Gulutzan, who has not yet committed to Nilstorp for Thursday’s
game. “He’s been in the American League since his injury, so we’ll see how up
and running he was down there.”

And that’s fine with Nilstorp. He understands the challenges, and he
understands the risk he took. He doesn’t have a wife or girlfriend, so he said
it’s just him and his car driving back and forth between Dallas and Cedar Park,
where he has posted a 16-10-0 record with a 2.13 GAA and .916 save
percentage.

“You just do the best you can, and prepare the best you can,” he said.

Like Bachman, Nilstorp understands that one good game can mean a spot in the
NHL for weeks at a time. And with Lehtonen poised to return from his groin
injury fairly quickly, everyone understands the pressure involved in getting the
next start.

But it’s not like Nilstorp hasn’t dealt with pressure before.

“I like how he isn’t fazed by things,” Valley said. “There’s a lot of
positive things in how he handles situations. He went down there and played
well, and now he’s back.”

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